Ryan Idea LabWith an aim to eliminate the “high stakes” aspect of the board exams, the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) is introducing a new initiative to allow students to sit for Class 10 board exams up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired. CBSE has developed the draft scheme for the conduct of two Board examinations for Class 10. This initiative, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP-2020), will come into effect from the 2026 academic year.
Let’s deep dive into what this change means and its advantages to students and parents.
What’s New?
This new system aims to reduce pressure on students by presenting them two chances to take board exams in an academic year:
– The first phase of the examination will be conducted in Feb-Mar 2026
– The second phase of the examination will be conducted in May 2026.
According to the official notification by CBSE, it is expected that in Class X, in 2026, about 26.60 Lakh students will appear in the examinations. Both the examinations will be conducted on the full current syllabus and the text-books. All the candidates will be issued passing documents after the second examination result. Practical/ Internal assessment will be done only once.
This offers students greater flexibility and the chance to review their performance, reflect, and retake the exam—if they wish—to potentially improve their scores. The best-of-two attempts will be considered the final score.
As Anjali Bowen, the principal of Ryan International School, Kandivli, said: “This change acknowledges what we’ve always known—that stress erodes learning. By allowing students to retake exams, CBSE is not diluting the rigour—it’s deepening the compassion. It gives students more than one moment to shine.”
The key advantage of this system, as observed by Anjali Bowen, is that students get more than one opportunity to express what they have learnt throughout the year. One tough day does not have to decide the assessment of their learning outcomes.
The traditional single-attempt exam format has often been a high-stakes, high-stress situation. With the option of a second attempt, students can now approach the first exam with greater confidence, knowing it’s not their only chance. They can use the second exam strategically—to improve or simply validate their efforts. Rather than viewing performance as fixed, students will feel empowered to reflect on their results and reassess their academic progress. This flexibility also offers them a valuable chance to calibrate their efforts to achieve better results.
The impact of this system on teaching
At Ryan, we always look out for and readily adopt continuous improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing the students’ learning and development.
As Anjali Bowen, the principal of Ryan International School, Kandivli, further observes: “We were aware of this potential shift, and now that it is officially being implemented, our school and teachers are actively working on integrating this new structure into our academic planning.”
Teachers can now analyze student performance at the first exam and offer targeted support to students opting for the improvement exam. They can identify learning gaps and formulate personalized teaching strategies to help the students.
At Ryan Schools, teachers use state-of-the-art data analysis tools and systems that help them interpret board exam results and design classroom assessments accordingly. With an empathetic approach, our teachers can offer expert guidance to help students decide whether to opt for improvement exams and set realistic goals if they do.
The Government of India, through the implementation of NEP-2020, is trying to achieve a situation where any student who has been going to and making a basic effort in a school class will be able to pass and do well in the corresponding subject Board Exam without much additional effort. This is aimed at eliminating the need for additional private coaching, which can be stressful to students and a cost burden on parents. In those lines, the new initiative of CBSE to conduct Class 10 board exams in two stages comes in as a wonderful opportunity for students to undertake their learning in a stress-free mindset and for the teachers and educational institutions to enhance their personalized learning offerings with deeper compassion and empathy—as Ryan International Schools always do!
